Ian Campbell, 54, was sentenced to more than eight years’ imprisonment for “qualified theft” by a court in Turkey, Demiroren News Agency reports.

The man was arrested last October in Marmaris after he attempted to steal the 2.5 carat diamond ring from a jeweller.

But an assistant at the shop locked the door to prevent Campbell from leaving, prompting the tourist to swallow his booty.

The police took him to Marmaris State Hospital on the orders of a prosecutor, where doctors were told to surgically remove the ring if it didn’t exit Campbell “by natural means”.

Speaking from his hospital bed in October, he said: “I lost my wife in a traffic accident. Her body could not be removed from the car, which fell into a lake, for days.

“After the accident, her diamond ring, our wedding ring, could not be found despite a search operation in the lake.

“Whenever I see a diamond ring on display at jewellery shops, my wife always comes to my mind.

“I feel a strong urge to take those rings, especially the ones with higher carat diamonds.”

Campbell is expected to appeal.